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Boston, MA
‘It still doesn’t feel real’: At the Skating Club of Boston, grief looms over the daily training grind – The Boston Globe
Weeks after the tragedy, the club is weathering waves of anguish all the while doing what has made it a standard-bearer for figure skating in America for more than a century. There is palpable grief, to be sure, but also the ever present grind of athletes striving for greatness.
“We keep them in our hearts while we do it, and it feels like we’re still skating together,” said LoPinto’s son, 16-year-old Zachary, who is the top-ranked male figure skater in New England, and fourth nationally, for his age group.
Han was returning from Wichita, Kan., where her 13-year-old daughter, Jinna, who was also killed in the crash, had attended a development camp following the US Figure Skating Championships. Han and her daughter never made it back to New England. Neither did youth skater Spencer Lane, his mother Christine Lane, and Evegenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, both former elite figure skaters who coached at the club.
The LoPintos often traveled with the Hans, and Donna LoPinto considered the possibility of members of her family being on that flight “a little” haunting.
The two families became tight because they were at this Norwood rink six days a week for their children.
Indeed, the club’s three-rink facility, on a slice of land wedged between Interstate 95 and Route 1, anchored much of the existences of the six victims. Take Han for instance. LoPinto, who considers the Hans to be family rather than friends, said of Jin, “Pretty much the rink was her life.”
Zachary and Jinna shared aspirations of becoming truly elite in their sport.
For the LoPintos, that meant moving from Long Island to Canton to give Zachary the best chance at success. He has trained at the Skating Club of Boston for the last four years. LoPinto’s husband still lives part time in New York, where he owns an insurance agency. Zachary’s commitment to the sport means he attends school online. Jinna, whom Zachary considered to be a little sister, had a similar academic arrangement.
Zachary’s six-day-a-week training regimen is vigorous. Many days he has three 80-minute sessions on the ice, in addition to off-ice jumping, the weight room, and physical therapy. Consistency, he said, is chief among his challenges. Some days, he feels fantastic about his jumps; others, he feels as though nothing is working. And the higher the jumps, the more inconsistent the results, he said. This is his life.
“I feel free on the ice,” he said.
Out on the ice during a recent weekday afternoon, a handful of skaters worked on their craft. This specific rink, named after Tenley E. Albright, a Newton native who became the first American female skater to win an Olympic gold medal, in 1956, has a capacity for 2,500 spectators and is designated for the highest performing skaters.
To the uninitiated, it all looks effortless at first as the skaters glide in elegant arcs, punctuated by spins or jumps. Then occasionally someone lands awkwardly and ends up on their backside. And the truth becomes real: This can be taxing work.
Locally, figure skating is a tight-knit community. The Norwood club has about 1,200 members, about 60 percent of whom are “active skaters,” a spokesperson said. It’s one of only three facilities in the nation owned and operated by a figure skating club. The facility opened in 2020, following decades at a rink on Soldiers Field Road.
Covering one wall on the side of the rink is a massive timeline chronicling the club’s rich history. Its narrative is intertwined with the development of figure skating in the US. The club was founded in 1912. By 1963, it had produced eight female figure skating national champions.
The display also covers past heartbreak. A 1961 plane crash in Belgium killed the entire US skating team, including 10 members of the Boston club, who were on their way to the world championships.
The last photo in the timeline shows the smiling Shishkova and Naumov, the two coaches who died in the D.C. plane crash. They are flanking their son, Maxim Naumov, who was competing at the US Championships in Kansas but traveled home Sunday before his parents.
Becky Stump, the club’s coaching director, choked up when talking about that family and the club’s culture. Shishkova, she said, was “an absolute sweetheart,” while Naumov “really cared about his skaters, not just as skaters but as people, which is not always the case with coaches”
Originally from Russia, Shishkova and Naumov won the pairs title at the 1994 world championships and competed twice in the Olympics. They were also “good people,” Stump said.
She recalled she wanted to ask Shishkova about where she got her hair done because “her hair always looked so good.” But coaches at the club are perpetually busy, and she missed her chance.
Stump texted Naumov while he was in Wichita, saying she hoped his son, Maxim, would skate well at the US Championships, and included a prayer hands emoji. After Maxim finished fourth, Naumov messaged her: ”God heard your prayers, Becky.”
“Now, I’m reading it and I’m like ‘Oh God,’” she said.
Maxim has not trained since the crash that took his parents’ lives, Stump said, but he has taught some lessons at the club.
Elite figure skaters, she said, can be adept at compartmentalization.
“Skaters learn to be in the moment when you have to be in the moment and when you’re not that’s when you have your space to cry, but it’s been really tough,” she said, especially since many are still in their competitive season. She pointed out Jinna Han’s coach out on the ice. She is coaching a pairs team that is bound for the World Championships next month at Boston’s TD Garden.
And while the sport often forces its athletes to learn how to deal with deep disappointment, there is still pervasive anxiety attached to the recent catastrophe. Stump mentioned a trip that some of the club’s members will take to Colorado Springs for an upcoming competition.
“They’re all scared,” she said, referencing the impending plane ride. “Parents, skaters, everybody.”
In a hallway near the rink is an informal tribute to Spencer Lane and Jinna Han. The memorial, located where the two used to lace up their skates before stepping out onto the ice, includes teddy bears, flowers, cards, a hand drawing, candy, and framed photos of each skater.
The club expects to have a handful of its members in the mix to qualify for the next Winter Olympics. The organization also thinks multiple Olympic cycles ahead. One pre-teen on the ice, the club spokesperson said, is a prospect for the 2034 Winter Olympics in Milan.
Zachary LoPinto’s long-term goal is to qualify for the Olympics at least once, maybe twice. More immediately, there is the pain of loss.
His mother recalled Jin Han as selfless. “If you wanted to sit, she’d give you her chair. If you wanted food, she’d give you her food first before she would feed herself,” she said
Han’s husband, Joon, still comes to the rink for a hug, a coffee, or a chat. He pushes Zachary, who considers him an uncle, to excel, said Donna LoPinto.
“Some days,” she said, “are harder than others.”
Danny McDonald can be reached at daniel.mcdonald@globe.com. Follow him @Danny__McDonald.
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Boston police, federal agents and the National Park Service are investigating an incident involving a fire behind the historic African Meeting House, a landmark that is part of Boston’s Museum of African American History.
The National Park Service said it responded to the African Meeting House during the early morning hours of June 3 after an unidentified person was seen on surveillance video opening a package that had been left outside the building. Authorities said the individual removed some of the contents and burned several items in a small alley behind the structure.
Officials said there are no early indications the incident was an attempt to set fire to the building itself, but the case remains under active investigation.
The African Meeting House, built in 1806 on Beacon Hill, is recognized as the nation’s oldest surviving Black church building and is a National Historic Landmark.
“This has been a distressing situation, and quite sobering,” museum President and CEO Noelle Trent said.
Trent said the package contained materials intended for upcoming Juneteenth celebrations. According to the museum, the person scattered and burned some of the contents behind the building.
Outside the Museum of African American History, where a package fire was reported early Wednesday, June 4, 2026.
“A small ember would be devastating, not only for this building but also for the community around us,” Trent said.
Investigators from the Boston Police Department, the Boston Fire Department’s Arson Unit and federal authorities are working to determine a motive.
Trent said the incident is particularly concerning because of the building’s historical significance.
“We do not have many buildings like this in the country, so we are a physical marker and a reminder of the community and what happened here,” she said. “If this goes, there’s nothing else like it anywhere else in the world.”
NBC10 Boston NBC10 Boston Inside the Museum of African American History in Boston.
Mayor Michelle Wu also highlighted the importance of the African Meeting House and said the Civil Rights Division of the Boston Police Department is investigating.
“At a time of unrelenting attacks on Black history and Black communities, the Museum of African American History in Boston stands as a pillar of truth and conscience for our city and our country,” Wu said in a statement. “The African Meeting House — the oldest standing Black church in the United States — continues to be a home for important community convenings to this day. This disturbing incident of suspected arson is under investigation by the Boston Police Department’s Civil Rights Division, and hateful acts of violence will never be tolerated in Boston. The City of Boston stands firmly with Dr. Trent and the entire MAAH team, and we will not be intimidated in our work to make Boston a home for everyone.”
No injuries were reported. Authorities said additional information will be released as the investigation continues.
Boston, MA
Karen Read sues the police agencies that investigated her Boston police boyfriend’s death
BOSTON — Karen Read has filed a lawsuit against the Massachusetts State Police and the town of Canton, alleging misconduct and negligence in the investigation that led to her prosecution in the death of her Boston police officer boyfriend.
The suit filed Thursday in Bristol County Superior Court argues that Read’s acquittal last June revealed “an embedded culture of bigotry, misogyny, systemic failures, and institutional rot at the very core of both organizations.” It alleges that the town and the police department were negligent in the hiring, training, and supervision of officers.
The town of Canton and the Canton Police Department did not immediately respond to email requests for comment.
Read walked out of court a free woman about a year ago after more than three years and two trials over the death of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, who was found on the suburban lawn of a fellow officer’s home after a night of heavy drinking during a snowstorm.
Read faced charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter and leaving the scene. The jury convicted her of a lesser charge, drunken driving.
Prosecutors said Read hit O’Keefe with her SUV on January 2022 night of the party, leaving him to die in a blizzard.
Her lawyers successfully defended her, painting a sinister picture of police misconduct and theorizing that O’Keefe was in fact killed by colleagues who then covered it up.
The trial centered in part on lead investigator Michael Proctor, whom defense attorneys described as biased against Read from the beginning. The Massachusetts State Police trial board found Proctor guilty of sending crude and defamatory text messages about Read while leading the investigation into her. He was fired and drew the ire of Read supporters who believe he played a key role in an alleged cover-up to frame her.
The complaint filed Thursday devotes dozens of pages to Proctor and former Canton police Sgt. Sean Goode, citing texts, recordings and other communications that it says demonstrate racist, sexist and other derogatory remarks. Read argues that those materials show both men were unfit to participate in the investigation and that their conduct reflected broader failures in oversight by state and local law enforcement officials.
Goode was placed on leave in November 2025 when the town was notified about allegations of misconduct. He resigned earlier this week, according to news outlets.
Boston, MA
Clover plans to reopen some locations after sudden closure, thanks to an anonymous investor
Local News
The vegetarian restaurant chain, founded in 2008 at MIT, will reopen its Cambridge and Boston locations Tuesday, June 9.
Just days after announcing it would shut down for good, Clover Food Lab now says it has found a path forward to reopen some restaurants.
The vegetarian restaurant chain will reopen its Cambridge and Boston locations for lunch service on Tuesday, June 9, after securing a deal with an investor, CEO Julia Wrin Piper told Boston.com.
Clover announced May 26 it would close all 11 of its restaurants and its meal-box delivery operations, citing inflation, thin margins, and limited ability to raise prices.
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Clover says it’s closing for good
Wrin Piper said the company is focusing on Boston and Cambridge as it reopens some locations. Before last week, the chain also had restaurants in Sudbury, Burlington, Westford, and Somerville.
“We are intentionally focusing on shrinking our footprint to focus on our core communities,” Wrin Piper said. “The operational plan is still being worked out.”
Since March, the company had been searching for a buyer but was unable to find one. However, late last week, Clover finalized an investment deal that will allow the company to continue operating, Wrin Piper said.
Wrin Piper declined to identify the investor or disclose further details about the deal. In an email announcing the reopening, Clover described the investor as “mission-aligned” with the brand and motivated by the “differentiation of [Clover’s] locally-sourced menu.”
“Now, we’re in a position where we’re resourced enough that we’ll be able to move forward with some of the operational changes that will be essential for long-term financial sustainability, specifically reduced footprint, really focusing on serving truly the local community,” Wrin Piper said.
The reopening also comes after an “outpouring of love” from customers following the closure announcement, Wrin Piper noted.
Clover locations saw an increase in traffic, and sales surged as supporters flocked to restaurants in their final days, the company said in the email.
The company also received messages from customers sharing memories and expressing appreciation for the brand. In notes shared with Boston.com, customers described Clover as “irreplaceable” and a “unique Boston institution.” Others reflected on years of meals and experiences tied to the restaurant.
“My memories are mostly about the vibe — welcoming, delicious, passionate, sustainable, and community oriented,” one note reads. “Clover staff were always friendly and helpful. I estimate I had at least 2,000 Clover sandwiches over the 17 years. I tried them all and had my favorites.”
Wrin Piper said the response was deeply touching.
“It’s meaningful to see a customer really enjoy a sandwich or really connect with a story that we’re telling about a local farm,” she said. “It’s exciting if you see one customer doing it. If you see literally 1,000 customers do it over the course of a day, it’s incredibly meaningful.”
Founded as a food truck outside MIT in 2008, Clover built its reputation on vegetarian meals made with ingredients sourced from local farms. What began as a single truck eventually expanded into a regional fast-casual chain and meal-box delivery service.
Clover went public with its financial issues when it filed for bankruptcy protection in 2023, citing rising costs, slow sales, and difficulty raising capital. The restaurant emerged from bankruptcy the following year with two fewer restaurants and 240 employees.
Inflation was one of the factors behind the company’s recent closure announcement, and Wrin Piper acknowledged those pressures have not disappeared.
However, she said Clover’s restructuring efforts are designed to better position the company for long-term stability.
“Our restaurant portfolio, as a whole, was profitable,” she said. “But because we were challenged with some of these pressures, it’s very important in this next iteration to really focus on the core stores that are not only profitable but also very economically service as a tight community around Boston and Cambridge.”
While the company’s long-term operating plan is still being finalized, it will include reducing its store count and scaling back on infrastructure built for expansion.
Clover currently operates a large commissary in East Cambridge, where ingredients from local farmers are processed and prepared for restaurants throughout the system. Wrin Piper said that model was designed to support “scaled growth” and is no longer what the company needs.
“Right now, it’s important that we’re focused on a reduced store portfolio,” she said. “We’ll be closing or downsizing our commissary, because it’s simply too big for our needs.”
The chain also faces growing competition from other healthy lifestyle chains that have popped up in the region, such as Life Alive, CAVA, and Sweetgreen. Still, Wrin Piper said she believes Clover’s distinct identity and local sourcing will continue to set it apart.
“I think providing super fresh, exciting food with really warm and inviting customer service is the way that we’re going to continue to raise sales,” she said.
Wrin Piper noted that many customers choose Clover for its sourcing that “stays 100 percent the same” despite the operational challenges the company faces, adding that reinvesting in the local agriculture economy has been core to Clover’s mission.
“[Sourcing is] never something we’ve compromised on,” Wrin Piper said. “We will keep our commitment to sourcing from local farms in New England that you can drive to within a few hours.”
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